Blackhawks Have More Recent Second Round Playoff Appearance Than Only 4 Teams

Making the playoffs in the NHL is tough enough, but winning a round is much more difficult. Some teams get swept in the first round matching up against powerhouses and other teams just can't finish series. The Chicago Blackhawks never had that problem when they were the top dogs and won three Stanley Cups from 2010 to 2015, but it has been extremely quiet since then.

Chicago Blackhawks (Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images)

The Blackhawks have a more recent second round appearance in the playoffs than only four teams in the NHL, and one of them is the Utah Mammoth who the NHL is referring to as a new franchise. The Blackhawks last made it to the second round in 2015, the last year they won the Cup. The only other three teams with longer droughts are the LA Kings, Detroit Red Wings, and Buffalo Sabres.

Like the Blackhawks, the Kings haven't made it out of the first round since they last won the Cup in 2014. The Red Wings and Sabres have been in long rebuilds, but not since 2013 (Detroit) and 2007 (Buffalo) when they each last won a round.

The Minnesota Wild haven't made it out of the first round since 2015, same as Chicago, except the Wild have made the playoffs eight of the last 10 years. The Blackhawks have made the playoffs twice regularly and once by winning the play-in series in 2019-20.

It is enough of a challenge for the Blackhawks to get back into the playoffs, never mind thinking about winning a round. We'll see if they drop any further in the coming years as the Red Wings, Sabres, Mammoth, Kings, and Wild all seem closer than the 31st ranked Blackhawks.